Nwankpa Design is a young practice that makes it into the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2026, our latest annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios.
Who: Nwankpa Design
Based in Southern California, Nwankpa Design creates spaces rooted in bold elegance, paying particular attention to the human experience. Since its founding in 2016, the architecture and interiors firm has taken an immersive approach, from structure to furniture and custom details.
‘Our approach is immersive and deeply experiential, treating space as moments in a larger narrative that unfold as you move through it,’ shares Susan Nwankpa Gillespie, principal architect and founder of the firm. ‘The result is environments whose depth reveals itself gradually, feeling transformative to inhabit.’
The firm specialises in creating holistic residences, intending to craft beautiful spaces. ‘At the heart of everything we do is a desire to create more beauty in the world, a beauty that is living and meaningful. We are driven by the celebration of culture, the richness of heritage, and the extraordinary possibilities that emerge when tradition meets technology. Every project is an opportunity to expand expression and connection,’ says Nwankpa Gillespie.
While beauty is the heart of a project, culture and storytelling are its foundations, as the founder notes, ‘We are endlessly inspired by the visual languages of cultural heritage, patterns, craft, and memory held in material, all reinterpreted in a contemporary vocabulary.’
What: Textile House #2
In Inglewood, California, a dress was the source of inspiration for Textile House #2. An item Nwankpa Gillespie owned, its West African textiles and colourful prints were transplanted into an architectural form, uniting minimalism with bold patterns.
Its front facade mimics that of its neighbouring environment, with two pitched gables, with one framing a porch and the other a picture window. On closer inspection, the facade is an amalgamation of texture and drama. Exterior brick patterns take on a graphic quality, as the solid black offset brick contrasts with the soft grey mortar, similar to a woven textile.
Towards the rear facade, the house adopts a more modern language, with wider gables framing two distinct entrances to the residence’s living spaces and to the primary bedroom. The interior continues the brick pattern throughout the flooring, allowing spaces to seamlessly flow into one another, divided only by colour and materiality.
Parallels are drawn between fashion and architecture through lines and materials, creating a layered relationship between them, breaking the boundaries between architecture and other creative practices.
Why: Architects Directory 2026
When the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory was conceived in 2000, it was built as our bespoke international index of emerging architectural talent. Now in its 25th edition, our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe (now comprising over 500 alumni) champions the best and most promising young studios - a snapshot of talent showcasing inspiring work from all corners of the Earth with an emphasis on the residential realm.
This year’s anniversary survey includes 30 young studios (one for each of the 30 years of Wallpaper*), from Australia, Bahrain, Benin, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Ecuador, Ghana, Greece, France, Ivory Coast, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, India, Morocco, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, the USA, and Vietnam. Welcome to the promise, ideas and exciting architecture of the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2026.
